Tourist attraction: How other counties are drawing visitors

Lancater County's tourism agency focuses on the Amish Country as part of its strategy to draw visitors. But the bureau also highlights downtown Lancaster, fine dining, bed and breakfasts, and quaint towns.

How our neighbors woo tourists

We asked some of the tourism bureaus in neighboring counties about their efforts to tweak their brands and marketing to attract tourists. Here's a sampling of what they're doing:

Discover Lehigh Valley (Lehigh/Northampton counties): Revamped its website so visitors can see content geared toward them. People from the area would see different content from people outside the area. "Our goal is to increase awareness of our site and ultimately convert a site visitor into a visitor of Lehigh Valley," said Michael Stershic, bureau president.

Visit Bucks County (Bucks County): Capitalizing on same-sex marriage in New Jersey by marketing New Hope, a community already popular with gay and lesbian tourists, as a honeymoon destination. "Visit Bucks County has always marketed to this specific audience through advertising in LGBT publications and hosting LGBT specific press trips," said Jessica Lawlor, bureau spokeswoman.

Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau (Lancaster County): "Yes, the Amish is the cornerstone of our brand," said Joel Cliff, bureau spokesman. "But our marketing messages also encompass all of the other great things there are to do in the area: Diverse shopping options, world-class hotels and B and B's, a thriving downtown, quaint towns and villages, and restaurants featuring everything from Pennsylvania Dutch favorites to fine dining."